Adding to basket
The members of the "Coronita de Mavati" group are Mazahua women who live in a community in which they still maintain their traditions. They even talk to each other in their mother tongue, a situation that does not happen in other neighbouring communities.
Matilde is the group's representative. She is 41 years old and is married to Hermenegildo, who makes a living working in the fields. Together, they have formed a family with five children, only one of whom is their dependant and goes to elementary school.
Eight years ago, Matilde began making embroidered handicrafts such as napkins, tablecloths, and the like. "My children were very young; my husband used to work in the fields alone, and his pay was too low, so I decided to help out with what I do best, and which I also love," [she says.]
From a very young age, Matilde used to watch her grandmother and her mother make embroidered napkins to wrap tortillas to keep them warm. She remembers that they only used to make them for their personal use, and Matilde came up with the idea that it would be a very good option to offer them to the homemakers who were too busy to make them.
She has been recognized in her community for the quality of her work and the punctuality with which she delivers large orders for celebrations and parties. A few days ago, she delivered some wedding souvenirs, and she used the profits to buy more food for her family.
Matilde spends her evenings embroidering once she has finished her household chores. Even though this is the second time that she is requesting a loan from VisionFund, she is grateful because she will be able to buy fabric, embroidery hoops, needles, thread, and yarn in an assortment of colours to keep on doing what she so much loves to do. In addition, she says that the previous loan allowed her to invest in the purchase of animals such as chickens and turkeys, which she is about to sell, and, in this way, she will have a little extra money for her family.
Matilde has a new plan in mind. She would like to improve the coop she has in order to start selling the eggs that her hens may lay. However, her greatest dream is to continue increasing her sales to be able to make improvements to her home.
Like Matilde, the other group members are very happy and grateful for the loan because they will be able to invest it in their businesses. Eleuteria, Felipa, and Mariana will invest in napkins while Silvia and Sofía will invest in chickens.
*The photograph was taken on the stairs of the municipal bandstand. Behind the group members, part of the Catholic church can be seen. Matilde is the one sitting right in the middle of the group*
In this group: Eleuteria, Felipa, Silvia, Maria Matilde, Mariana, Sofia
Translated from Spanish by Kiva volunteer anonymized. View original language description.
